


Election Day

by Veridissima



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Family Bonding, Grief/Mourning, Phone Calls & Telephones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27002002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veridissima/pseuds/Veridissima
Summary: On election day, bad news fall to them all. A phone call is made.
Relationships: Bruno Gianelli/Margaret Hooper
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Election Day

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Marnie and the Shark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6846829) by [mcgarrygirl78](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78). 



> This fic was written back on October 30th, 2017, inspired by the amazing Marnie and The Shark series by mcgarrygirl78 on the old National Library fic collection for this show - I just realized they're also here, so check the fics out!!!
> 
> Those fics kind of made Margaret/Bruno canon for me, and I was inspired to write this moment between them in the timeline of the show, which never happens in their fics because of other circumstances. Also full DISCLAIMER: both the nickname Marnie and their kid being called Brian is originally from their fic, and I hope they don't mind me using it
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fic!!! (And as the previous two fics, I made some minor languages changes to the original fic)

Since the news broke, Bruno had been closed in meetings with Senator Vinick and the rest of the campaign staff, trying to decide what would be their next move – of course, the Senator didn’t want to speak, didn't want to make this political. The arguing had been going for too long, before he kicked out everyone but Sheila from the room, and Bruno got to finally step away to make the call.

“Margaret…” he whispered when she picked up the phone, “How are you doing?”

“I just can’t believe it, Bruno,” he could hear the tears in her voice, the pain she was feeling. “Leo…”

“Leo was a great man, Margaret. I know how much he meant to you.”

“Are you trying to score some points with this?” she asked, fearing the answer, and he could already hear the anger in her voice - he recognized it even if she didn't use it often.

“We don’t talk about the election, Marnie,” he argued. They had promised it to each other when he told her that he was going to make the Senator the next President of the United States

“Bruno, don’t, Leo doesn’t deserve that,” she said, crying again.

“I ran into him at the debates,” Bruno told her, knowing he couldn't promise her anything, before laying against a cabinet and continuing. “He told me I should spend more time with Brian, and that I should marry you.”

“Bruno…”

“He has a photo of Brian in his wallet. Brian in a suit, at the White House, it seemed.”

“He had– Brian is not going to get to know him, Bruno. Leo was planning to introduce him to Mallory’s kid after the election was over.”

“You will tell him about him.”

“It’s not the same,” she said, before clearing her voice. “What are you going to do, Bruno?”

“The Senator has nothing he wants to say. He just wants to offer his condolences. He considers–- considered Leo a friend.”

“He won’t play the card…”

“I told you he was a good man.”

“You would have spoken,” she suggested.

“Margaret…” he whispered, not wanting to have that argument. “I need to go.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll call you when this is over,” he promised. “Or can you call me when you get home? I want to hear Brian, I need to listen to him tonight.”

“He’s okay, I called the sitter. I will probably be here until this is finished.”

“You should go home,” he said, knowing it would fall to deaf ears. 

“You still have an election to lose,” she told him her usual goodbye for the last few months.

“Tell CJ and the President–-”

“I will. Go, Bruno.”

The phonecall ended with that. Bruno joined the room once again, as they had moved on to the states board, wondering about what else they could do. At the White House, Margaret sat back at her desk, looking at TV screen once again, hoping for someone to tell them it had all been a lie.


End file.
